The present invention relates to an illuminated stand for an artificial tree such as a Christmas tree.
It is known to provide artificial trees such as Christmas trees with optical fibres which generally extend up the trunk and along tree branches, the distal ends of the fibres producing a decorative eye-catching effect when illuminated. The light source is usually contained in a stand for the tree, being upwardly directed at the proximal ends of the branches of fibres.
The present invention seeks to provide a stand for such an artificial tree also of decorative and eye-catching appearance.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a stand for supporting an artificial tree of a type having a plurality of optical fibres, the stand comprising a housing, a trunk supporting member which, in use, receives the end of the trunk of a tree, an internal light source in the housing, one or more screens supported on the housing and a decorative image-carrying medium between the light source and the screen or screens.
The image-carrying medium may be a sheet of transparent material bearing a decorative image, or may be a simple decorative shape which thereby casts a shadow on the screens.
The image-carrying sheet may be supported on a rotating member such as a wheel, so that the image moves over the screens, and with the sheet supported at the periphery of the wheel. The wheel may have a plurality of protrusions at its outer periphery which fit into corresponding openings in the sheet.
The screens are preferably formed of light translucent material having a frosted light-diffusing surface.
The trunk supporting member may be mounted for rotation and driven by a motor operatively connected thereto so as to drive this in rotation, which may also drive the rotating member supporting the image-carrying sheet.
A single light source may be used to illuminate both the trunk-supporting member and the image-carrying medium.
The stand may also be provided with a music-generating electronic circuit or processor, and electronic sound recording and playing circuit or processor.